K.A. (Kohntarkosz Anteria)
Encyclopedia
K.A. is an album released by French
progressive rock
band Magma
in 2004
. The album
was Magma's first full-length studio release in over 20 years. The material was in large part originally composed by drummer Christian Vander
in 1973-1974. K.A is sung almost entirely in Magma's constructed language
Kobaïan
, apart from a short passage in French ("Les Musiciens du Bord du Monde").
(1974). The final installment in the trilogy, released in November, 2009, is Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
.
The Kohntarkosz trilogy describes the spiritual quest of two men to understand the intimate workings of the forces of the universe and achieve immortality. The quest was begun by Emehntehtt-Re, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who devoted his life to spiritual efforts, but who was murdered shortly before he could reach the final attainment. Kohntarkosz tells the story of a modern archaeologist who discovers the location of Emehntehtt-Re's tomb. He enters, and as he crosses slowly along the dark passages to the burial chamber, hears celestial voice, and has visions of Emehntehtt-Re's life. When he reaches the burial chamber and touches the tomb, the ancient dust seeps into his pores, and he has a momentary and devastating flash of understanding of the complete attainment of the ancient pharaoh. Waking, his flash of understanding lost in his normative consciousness, he then devotes his own life to recovering the achievements of Emehntehtt-Re and carrying them to the final stage. (His efforts and teachings, incidentally, may be the link to the remainder of Magma's mythology, the forming of a group of spiritualists who ultimately flee the decrepit Earth for a higher life on the planet Kobaia.)
The story of Kohntarkosz Anteria isn’t told literally. Using the unofficial Kobaïan-French dictionary, Timothy Hannem wrote his own vision on the story of the album : “Kohntarkosz Anteria, an intermediate work between these narratives, begins with the celestial appraisal of the archaeologist figure. The voices announce that he will be a future prophet (Kohntarkosz) but at the moment is "sleeping," i.e. unaware of his future path and place in the spiritual history of the human race. The final section, a merging of two pieces originally known as Om Zanka and Gamma Anteria, deals with a youthful vision of the future Kohntarkosz, in which he journeys to a strange village where he is greeted with joyous cries of "halleluja!" and taken to the entrance of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
’s tomb, at which a mysterious male voice bids him welcome and entreats him to enter. At this point, the album Kohntarkosz
begins…”
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Magma
Magma (band)
Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. In the course of their first album, the band tells the story of a...
in 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
. The album
was Magma's first full-length studio release in over 20 years. The material was in large part originally composed by drummer Christian Vander
Christian Vander (musician)
Christian Vander is a French drummer, musician, and founder of the band Magma. Besides his work with Magma, he has also performed solo, with the Christian Vander Trio and Christian Vander Quartet, and in Offering....
in 1973-1974. K.A is sung almost entirely in Magma's constructed language
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
Kobaïan
Kobaïan
-External links:*. Perfect Sound Forever.*....
, apart from a short passage in French ("Les Musiciens du Bord du Monde").
Legacy
This album is part of the Kohntarkosz cycle of albums. It is the prequel to KohntarkoszKöhntarkösz
Köhntarkösz is an album released by French progressive rock band Magma in 1974 ."Coltrane Sündia" is an elegy for John Coltrane.-Track listing:Side one...
(1974). The final installment in the trilogy, released in November, 2009, is Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré is the tenth studio album by French progressive rock group Magma. It was released on November 5, 2009. Parts of it have been played live since 1975 and can be found on various albums as extracts or live versions. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I combines Ëmëhntëht-Rê and Rindë ...
.
The Kohntarkosz trilogy describes the spiritual quest of two men to understand the intimate workings of the forces of the universe and achieve immortality. The quest was begun by Emehntehtt-Re, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who devoted his life to spiritual efforts, but who was murdered shortly before he could reach the final attainment. Kohntarkosz tells the story of a modern archaeologist who discovers the location of Emehntehtt-Re's tomb. He enters, and as he crosses slowly along the dark passages to the burial chamber, hears celestial voice, and has visions of Emehntehtt-Re's life. When he reaches the burial chamber and touches the tomb, the ancient dust seeps into his pores, and he has a momentary and devastating flash of understanding of the complete attainment of the ancient pharaoh. Waking, his flash of understanding lost in his normative consciousness, he then devotes his own life to recovering the achievements of Emehntehtt-Re and carrying them to the final stage. (His efforts and teachings, incidentally, may be the link to the remainder of Magma's mythology, the forming of a group of spiritualists who ultimately flee the decrepit Earth for a higher life on the planet Kobaia.)
The story of Kohntarkosz Anteria isn’t told literally. Using the unofficial Kobaïan-French dictionary, Timothy Hannem wrote his own vision on the story of the album : “Kohntarkosz Anteria, an intermediate work between these narratives, begins with the celestial appraisal of the archaeologist figure. The voices announce that he will be a future prophet (Kohntarkosz) but at the moment is "sleeping," i.e. unaware of his future path and place in the spiritual history of the human race. The final section, a merging of two pieces originally known as Om Zanka and Gamma Anteria, deals with a youthful vision of the future Kohntarkosz, in which he journeys to a strange village where he is greeted with joyous cries of "halleluja!" and taken to the entrance of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré is the tenth studio album by French progressive rock group Magma. It was released on November 5, 2009. Parts of it have been played live since 1975 and can be found on various albums as extracts or live versions. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I combines Ëmëhntëht-Rê and Rindë ...
’s tomb, at which a mysterious male voice bids him welcome and entreats him to enter. At this point, the album Kohntarkosz
Köhntarkösz
Köhntarkösz is an album released by French progressive rock band Magma in 1974 ."Coltrane Sündia" is an elegy for John Coltrane.-Track listing:Side one...
begins…”
Personnel
- Christian VanderChristian Vander (musician)Christian Vander is a French drummer, musician, and founder of the band Magma. Besides his work with Magma, he has also performed solo, with the Christian Vander Trio and Christian Vander Quartet, and in Offering....
— Drums, Vocals, Percussion - James Mac Gaw — Guitars
- Emmanuel Borghi — Piano, Fender Rhodes
- Frédéric d'Oelsnitz — Fender Rhodes
- Philippe Bussonnet — Bass guitar
- Stella VanderStella VanderStella Vander is a French singer and musician.-Early years:Born in Paris into a family of Polish immigrants, she began writing music in the early sixties together with her uncle Maurice Chorenslup. Their songs were parodies of the Yé-yé style that was popular at the time...
— Vocals, Percussion - Antoine Paganotti — Vocals
- Himiko Paganotti — Vocals
- Isabelle Feuillebois — Vocals